.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.Formerly an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball staff faces the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have actually been the gold specification for baseball across the world, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and 9 total, Australia has been actually a historic giant alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summer Video games, taking home three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Team U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Gamings and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually viewed minimal activity up until now in France, she possesses a possibility to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of drive, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the U.S. elderly national team, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the five Games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break several of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credits Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point win over Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its starting five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the step fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal technique. Along with 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a function as Group USA's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the only other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects per activity.) Youthful, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill and reach coming from midrange that stood apart, in addition to her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second fourth for the united state to really put its own foot on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggression as well as energy on each ends should continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to carry out properly off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to see beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to score. She skipped all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far throughout the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through just two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is delivering another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is along with her playmaking, having now totted 22 supports versus just three turn overs. So, I don't think instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat issues perform the Australians present, and what can make all of them a tough matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get unique access to 1000s of premium articles a year from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be actually effectively knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only perform the Opals possess the skill to complete against Crew United States. They possess momentum as well as resolve following their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied along with her staff's grace as well as grit over the past week, pair of premiums an enemy needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and Johnson yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic field as well as a lot higher than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with eight and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and even more talented than any kind of staff in the business barring the united state ladies. Our team can easily debate the most ideal worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong candidates. Yet no team possesses a pair of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom will possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the staff this time regardless of similar creation.) As well as no crew outside the USA has virtually as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given everything skill, it was shocking when Australia dropped its position activity to Nigeria after that scarcely defeat winless Canada. In their previous two video games, our team've seen the Opals our team counted on, as they trump bested France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. U.S.A. System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is mosting likely to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's post gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and possess the wheelchair to defend Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each challengers, having experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm teammates and also compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor and Smith is actually repulsive difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the first one-fourth versus France, limiting their minutes. Data backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid concern. Yet given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually appearing in their first Video games-- I would certainly anticipate the Crew USA extremely duo to produce the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be actually a more durable enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their hardest Olympic test however. The Americans prevailed through thirteen aspects, although the scope was merely seven entering the 4th quarter of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 points along with seven supports (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the only other crew besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country along with the crowd on its edge and lots of satisfaction on the line, a complicated protective crew in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed against Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew USA played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be a problem. There are opportunities when the shortage of participating in time all together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the best awkward basketball she has actually ever played. After a little a slow start, the USA at some point led through 30 in the third quarter versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have liked just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the final buzzer. By means of four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing hasn't truly been actually treated, which might be a concern if opponents get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can not neglect any of the continuing to be teams in the field, but with a protective identification and aggressive expertise led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually presented it may place games away when it requires to, one thing that should transfer over in to the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the shooting is actually additionally main reason to believe there is actually an additional equipment for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have combined to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this time. That won't earn a "Burst Sisters" nickname at any time very soon, however it's additionally far better than Crew United States has actually managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat from lengthy variety. Keep an eye out if they ultimately perform.